Hi Again,
You may remember that I was having difficulty in identifying a wader at
Frankston Beach last week, well I have the pictures developed and I still
can't decide what it is.
If you would like to see copies, let me know and I can send them as
attachments. The pictures aren't great and the scanning has added a yellow
hue to them but the shape is clear.
Stuart
----------
> From: S Cooney <>
> To: birding-aus <>
> Subject: Wader at Frankston Beach, Victoria
> Date: Friday, 13 November 1998 11:16
>
> G'day all,
>
> Over the last three days I have been watching a wader at Frankston Beach.
>
> It is a single, grey backed bird, about 20cm long (Or about half the
length
> of a Silver Gull). Its bill is as long as its head or a bit longer and
it
> is dark. It has a dark eye and a White eye-stripe through a blotchy grey
> head and back. Its underparts are quite white, Whiter as you look
further
> under the body. Its legs are greeny/yellow and as long as its body. It
> seems to have long toes that are not webbed. The tail feathers are black
> or dark grey at the edges. It does not have any leg-bands. When it is
> disturbed by the inevitable unfettered dog on the beach it makes a
clicking
> sound and flies in a straight line around the dog and back to the beach.
If
> it is constantly disturbed it flys away for a while but always returns to
> the same spot. It is fairly approachable and I have taken a few photo's,
> however they are still in the camera.
>
> What is this bird? I thought it might be a Red Knot in non-breeding
> plumage, but it does not apear a squat bird nor as big as Simpson and Day
> suggest. The other bird (as per S & D) that I keep coming back to is the
> Broad-billed Sandpiper, but its bill is curved and this bird's bill is
not.
>
> Is it unusual to see a wader on Frankston's Beaches? it is for me.
Should
> we start lobbying for dogs to be banned from the beach, they certainly
kept
> upsetting this little fellow/lass.
>
> Any comments are most welcome.
>
> Regards
>
> Stuart & Sam Cooney
>
|
